Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1887-12-30
TALMAGE'S SERMON,
The Weekly Discourse of the Great
Brooklyn Preacher
Subjects "RccreuIiOns Good
and Rad.''

J
may make as sport. And they called for
Samson out of the prison house; and he
made them sport. t."-Judges xvi, 25.
We are entering the gayest season of the
year. The winter opens before us the gates
of thousand amusements, some Of them
good and some bad. One OF my texts will
show you that amusements may be destrCct-
i've, my other text will show that anu use-
ments may be under the Divine blessing and
direction.
There were three thousand people assem-
bled in the telnple Of Dagon. They had come
to make sport of eyeless Samson. They were
all ready for the entertainment They began
to clap and pound, impatient for the amuse-
ment to begin, and they cried Fetch him
out Fetch him outn Yonder 1 see the blind
giant coming, led by the hand of child into
the very midst of the temple. At his first ap-
pearance there goes up a shout of laughter
and derision. The blind old giant pretends
he is tired and wants to rest himself against
the pillars Of the house; so re says to the lad
who leads him: "Show me where the main
pillars are" The lad does 80. Then the strong
man puts his right hand on one pillar and
his left hand on another pillar, and, with
the mightiest push that mortal ever made
throws himself forward until the whole
house comes down in thunderous crash,
grinding the audience like grapes in wine
press. And SO it came to pass, when their
hearts l'ere merry, that they said: Call for
Samson, that he may make us sport. And
they called for Samson out of the prison
house; and he made them sport.n
In other words, there are amusements that
are destructive, and bring down disaster and
death upon the heads of these who practice
them. While they laugh ard cheer, they die.
The three thousand who pershed that day in
GAIA are as nothing compared with the tens
of thousands who have been DESTROYED by
sinful amusements.
But the other text have read implies that
there is lawful use of the world, as well as
an unlawful abuse of it; and the difference
between the man Christian and the man un-
Christian is that in the former case the man
masters the world, while in TIE latter case the
world masters him. For whom did God
make this grand and beautiful world? For
whom this wonderful expenditure of color,
this gracefulness of line, this mosaic of the
ground, this fresco OF the sky, this glowing
truitage of orchard and vineyard, this full
orchestra of the TEMPEST in which the tree
branches flute and the winds trumpet and the
the thunders drum and all the sp.endors Of
earth and sky come clashing their cymbals2
For whom did God spring the arched bridge
OF coors resting upon buttresses of broken
storm cloudl For whom did he gather the
upholstery of fire around the window of the
setting sun? For all men, but more especially
IOr his own dear children.
Ii you build large mansion and spread q
great feast after it to celebrate the compile
tion OF the structure do you allow strangers
to come in and occupy the place, while you
thrust your own children in the kitchen or
the barn CT the tields9 Oh, 10 You say: 81
am very glad to see strangers in my man
sion, but my own sons and daughters shall
have the first right there" Now GOD has
built this grand mansion of world, and he
hoe Il rl1,tr -
those who are strangers 10 his grace may
come in, l think that God specially intends to
give the advantage to his own children,
those who are the sons and the daughters of
the Lord Almighty, those who through grace
can look up and say: "Abba, Father.n You
cannot make me believe that God gives
more advantages to the world than he
gives to the church bought by his own
bood. If, therefore, people of the
world have looked with dol6rous sympathy
upon those who make profession of religion,
and have said: "Those new converts are go
ing down into privation and into hardship,
Why did not they tarry little longer in
the world and have some of its enjoy
ments and amusements and reCreations?n l
say to such men of the world: ''You are
greatly mistaken" and before get through |
will show that those people who stay out of
the kingdom of God have the hardships and
self denials, while those who come in have
the joys and the satisfactions.
This morning, in the name of the King of
Heaven and earth, serve a writ of eject
ment upon all the sinful and polluted who
have squatted on the domain of earthly
pleasure as though it belonged to them, while
claim, in behalf Of the good and the pure
and the true, the eternal inheritance which
God has given them.
Hitherto, Christian philanthropists, ceri-
cal and lay, have busted themselves chiefly in
denouncing sinful reel cations; but | feel we
have no right to stand before men and women
IN who hearts there il a desire for recrea-
tion amounting to positive necessity, de-
nouncing this and that and the other thing,
when we DO not promise to give them some
thing better. God helping me this morning,
and with reference to my last account shall
enter upon a sphere not usual in sermoniz-
ing, but a subject which think ought to be
presented at this timo. propose now to lay
before you some of the recreations which are
not only innocent, but positively helpful and
advantageous.
In the first place, | commend, among in.
door recreations music, vocal and instru.
mental. Among the first things created was
the bird, so that the earth might have music
at the start This world, which began with
SO sweet a serenade, is finally to be demol-
ished amidst the ringing blast of the arch
angels trumpet, so that as there was music
at the start, there shall be music at the close.
While this heavenly art has often been
dragged into the uses of superstition and dis
sipat.on, we all know it may be the means OF
high moral culture. Oh, it is a grand thing
to have our children brought up amidst the
sound Of cultured voices and amidst the
melody of musical instruments. There is in
this art an indies oribable fascination for the
household. Let al! those families who have
the means to afford it, have flute or harp, OF
piano or organ. As soon as the hand is large
enough to compass the keys, teach it how tc
pick out the melody. Let all our young mer
try this heavenly art upon their nature
Those who have gone into it fully have founC
/ in it illimitable recreation and amusement
Dark days, stormy nights seasons of sick
ness, business disasters, will do little TOWARD
depressing the soul which can gallop off ovel
musical keys or soar in jubiant lay. 1t will
cure pain. 1t will rest fatigue. 1t will quel
passion. 1t will revive health. 1t will re
claim dissipation. 1t will strengthen the i'm
mortal soul. In the battle of Waterloo Wei
lington saw that the Highlanders were fall
ing back; he said: "What is the matter
thereN He was told that the band of music
had ceased playing and he called up th,
pipers and ordered them to strike up an in
spiriting air; and no sooner did they strik
the air than the HighlandeTss were rallieC
and helped to win the day. Oh, ye who hav,
been routed in the conflicts of life, try by thu
force Of music to rally your scattered bat
talions.
am GLAD TO know that in our great c1tfe
there is hardly night in which there are no
concerts where, with the best musical instru
ments and the sweetest voices, people ma,
find entertainment. Patronize such enter
taiments when they are afforded you Blu,
season tickets if you can for the 'tPhilhaI
monte" and the "Handel and Haydn" soce
ties Feel that the dollar and n half or tyy
dollars that you spend for the purpose o
hearing an artist play or sing is a proftabl
investment. Let your Steinway halls an
| your academies of music roar with the ac
| clamation of appreciative audiences assem-
bled at the concert or the oratorio
| Still further, commend as worthy Of sur
| port the gymnasium. This institution
| gaining In favor every year, and know o